Manipulating geodata

If you’re a planner, a student, or an engineer, you will use geographic data. Sometimes you’ll require special skills to perform a task but more often than not you will need to simply convert or display the data. These tools (most of them online) will help you.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Alternatives to ESRI ArcGIS

QGIS

uDig

GRASS

GeoCommons – completely online.

Tips

Projection – Be observant of the project that data you obtained comes in. Then learn which coordinate reference systems and projections are common for that type of data and that location. For Chicago, you will most often use NAD83 / Illinois East (ftUS), with an EPSG ID ofÂ 3435.